Henri Badoux (Chablais AOC, Vaud, Switzerland) Aigle les Murailles 2017 ($28, Dreyfus Ashby & Co.): Have you made your New Year’s resolution? Consider trying a something different 
from your usual wine selection, like this Chasselas from Switzerland.
It is quite a charming wine with flinty, floral, apple aromas and flavors of ripe Fuji apple, lemon peel, and chalky mineral notes. It is light-bodied and round in the mouth with subtle, citrusy acidity adding brightness to the finish. Enjoy it as an aperitif, with white fish, or go all-Swiss with raclette or cheese fondue.
Chasselas is considered native to Switzerland where it seems to have hundreds of synonyms. It is admired for its ability to reflect its terroir since its wine is delicate, subtle, not highly aromatic, a neutral palate to express the soil and climate where is born.
It is the main grape of the Vaud, Switzerland’s second largest wine region and the Chablais appellation, not to be confused with Chablis of Burgundy, is thought to be one of the best places for Chasselas to shine.
The grapes come from a famous vineyard, Aigle les Murailles, which is so steeply terraced the grapes are delivered from the vineyard to the winery by helicopter.
Swiss wines are very high in quality overall, and though this one is fairly widely distributed, finding them in the USA is a challenge. But hey, what’s a resolution without a challenge?
89 Points
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